The Ruby Gem
by Secret Epoch
Summary: He looks in the mirror and sees ruby eyes staring right back. One-shot


I wrote this at 5am because I couldn't sleep AND I was listening to sad music so this came to mind. And the korean drama Stairway To Heaven also inspired me to write this. Lack of sleep results in this.

**Disclaimer: Chars not mine, most of plot is mine except the cornea part. you'll know once you read it.**

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The Ruby Gem

Rufus stares at the wall across from wearingly. His eyes were like an empty void. It's been a month since the car accident. The accident that left him crippled. The accident that also made him blind. He hears someone open the door.

"Is that you, Rufus Shinra?" the mysterious person said. He recognized that voice, who was that talking? It's so familiar.

"Lockhart?"

"The one and only." she chuckled.

"What are you doing here? Came to see a washed up pathetic man?"

Tifa snorted. "For your information, I'm here because I'm sick, I just happened to see your face in the window."

"I'm…sorry." Did he just apologized? Being blind and crippled must have made him a softie.

She sighed. "It's fine. So what's wrong with you, your eyes haven't moved at all, and why are YOU here by the way."

"If you must know, I'm crippled. Meaning hello to wheel chair forever, and my eyes? I might as well poke them out because they're useless now."

"You're blind?"

"BINGO!" he said sarcastically.

"You can't see what color my eyes are?"

"I already know they're ruby red, I remembered from our first meeting. Don't know why it stuck in my head though."

"It's not the end of the world when you can't walk or see. Don't you have loved ones you'd like to be around?" She asked.

It was his turn to snort. "Do you even know me? Remember when the Old Man died, I was jumping for joy."

They both stopped talking. There was an awkward silence. Tifa decided to break it first.

"When are you leaving the hospital? You look healthy to me, aside from being crippled and visually impaired." She questioned.

"I don't want people seeing me vulnerable, the doctors say I can only get my vision back if someone that's already dead donates their cornea, very unlikely. What about my legs? I'll never walk again, even with surgery."

The second awkward silence began. Rufus was the first to speak up this time.

"So…are you really sick?" you idiot, that's a stupid question to ask someone.

Tifa's voice suddenly went melancholy. "I guess you could say that."

"I'm sorry, you don't have to talk about it." he should really duck tape his mouth.

"Well there isn't anybody else here I can talk to right?"

"How about your friends, you know, AVALANCHE."

"They all think I'm on vacation in Costa Del Sol, I didn't want to worry them by saying I have terminal cancer."

"Yo-you have cancer?" He stuttered.

"Yep, no matter how much I try to elude it, in the end, I can't be saved." He couldn't believe that Tifa Lockhart, the strong willed martial artist was being broken down by, a disease.

"I-I don't know what to say except, I'm sorry." he was still in shock.

"I don't need sympathy." She snapped.

He surprised them both by saying. "How about company?"

She pondered for a while.

"Alright." She answered.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

ONE WEEK LATER…

Tifa was sitting in his room eating lunch with him. They've been talking all week. The nurse had to break them up 3 times before when it was time to sleep. Time passes when he talked to her. He loved it when they talked nonsense to eachother. Like they were long time friends instead of enemies.

"Hey Rufus."

"hmmm?" he swallowed the meat in his mouth. "What is it?"

"Can you do me a favor?"

"Of course." he wondered what he had to do. He'd do anything for her after this week. She kept him from going insane.

"When I…you know, kick the bucket, could you give these to my friends?" He heard rustling and then felt paper in his hands.

"Sure, what are they?"

"My farewells to them, it would be too hard to say goodbye face to face." her voice started to crack up. He felt a tear drop on his hand.

He only said "Okay." anything for her.

She hugged him tightly, kissed him on the cheek and said. "Thank you."

He never felt happier than in that moment. He wished it could last forever.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

His happiness quickly dissolved into despair when one of the nurses told him Tifa died in her sleep last night.

He never shed a tear for anyone before. Not even when his mom died. But somehow, at that very moment, a single tear fell down his cheek, many others followed.

The doctors had told him later that someone had donated their cornea and he can have a corneal transplant in two days. He was glad to get away from this gloomy place. He could still feel her presence near and it was killing him. Her scent was still linger in the air.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

He stayed another week for his eyes to adjust and heal to the new cornea. After a week, Reno and Rude came to pick him up. He wore sunglasses so the UV rays wouldn't damage his eyes.

They pull up to his mansion. It looked so empty and cold. None of that warmness Tifa had. Rude wheeled him to his room. His house was wheelchair proofed. Elevators and ramps were installed everywhere.

He was in his room, alone now. He missed the long talks he had with her. Lockhart. Tifa.

He took off his sunglasses and almost had a heart attack.

His eyes, he could not look away, they were not icy blue anymore, they were

Ruby red.**(1:please read the bottom)**

Tifa.

It was her.

At least he knew a part of Tifa would always be with him.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

He missed her funeral. Her friends probably wouldn't welcome him anyways. He had Reno deliver Tifa's letters. He always keep his promises.

He put on his sunglasses and wheeled downstairs and told the driver to bring him to the graveyard.

The driver wheeled him to Tifa's tombstone. Then he left.

"Hey Tifa, long time no see." he brought her flowers and laid them upon her grave.

He read the cravings, it said:

_Tifa Lockhart_

_1984-2008_

_Here lies the brightest gem we know_

_You shall not be forgotten_

He smiles at the words. She was the brightest gem.

It was sunny that day. She must be happy.

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**(1) I know that the cornea does not change your eye color but it's a fanfiction and I didn't know how else Rufus would recognize Tifa's eyes without it so if you are reading this. Corneal Transplant does not change your eye color. The iris determines the color of the eye. All clear? Awesome!**

**I also might think of writing a sequel where AVALANCHE reads Tifa's farewell letters. Maybe, if I have time.**


End file.
